U.S. Said to Develop Strategy for Iraq ...(...hmmm...two years, too late)

[RedEarth]

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration has developed a formal written strategy for Iraq (news - web sites) that envisions using a mix of diplomacy and military force to try to wrest control of dozens of key cities from insurgents before planned January elections, a senior administration official said Friday.


The strategy — already largely outlined by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and other top officials in recent weeks — was developed over the summer as Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) was accusing President Bush (news - web sites) of lacking a coherent plan to end the rising violence and pave the way for the withdrawal of American troops.


With more than 1,000 Americans killed, Iraq has become a dominant issue in the campaign.


Administration officials — most notably Rumsfeld and State Department officials — have differed openly about whether Iraqi elections have to be held in every area of the country, because of the violence.


The administration argues that it is pursuing an integrated political, economic and military strategy to defeat the insurgency, and identifies dozens of areas where the strategy is to be applied, said the official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the plan is classified.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&ncid=716&e=5&u=/ap/20041008/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_iraq

[54anickel]

1. Rummy's plan is to just blow 'em up, always was

"You've seen examples of the strategy in action," the official said. "You saw it in Najaf, you've seen it in Samarra and you see it in offensive military actions that are taking place now in parts of the so-called Sunni triangle," the official said, referring to U.S. military offensives.

Yet, Rumsfeld has also made clear that a U.S. military offensive into additional Iraqi cities could still be delayed or avoided altogether, depending if political negotiations work.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

2. It's too late for them to use diplomacy...no one trusts them, everyone

hates them

[whistle]

3. The plan is to bomb the shit out of every terrorist haven in Iraq....

...which of course means Iraqi genocide. That's what was used by Richard Nixon from 1969 in his secret plan to end the war in Vietnam until he was forced to resign in disgrace in August of 1975. Then Gerald Ford declared victory and withdrew American presence, support and forces. It was a disgrace in Vietnam then and the same policy is a disgrace now in Iraq.

[sventvkg]

4. how do you force democracy if they want theocracy?

Not gonna work, never was gonna work....They simply do not want the American Way of Govt.....You are all insane if you think we can force them.

[eyepaddle]

5. Now THAT is what I call

good timing:puke: